The manufacture of footwear by traditional methods comprises the following operations:                Cutting pieces of upper which will form the top part of the footwear.        Manually joining these pieces to one another by means of glues, seams, including reinforcements and decorative elements, etc.        In addition, a process is performed, which is the manufacture of the midsole, which requires the upper and the forming thereof on the inner surface of the last.        Preparation processes are then performed for the assembly, such as the placement of reinforcements in the back and front part that will form the counter and tips.        Fixing the insole on the inner surface of the last with staples or tape.        Assembling the different components, for which different alternatives are possible, the most common being machine assembly, where the upper is placed on the last, with the midsole thereunder.        Introducing the assembled set into a forming oven so that the materials stabilize and conserve the shape.        Scouring the grain side of the upper with the shape of the sole previously marked thereon.        Applying glue to the scoured part and also to the sole, chemically prepared previously for the anchoring of the glue.        Separately manufacturing, generally through auxiliary companies, the sole made up in most cases of injection materials.        Gluing the sole by means of a correct positioning and application of pressure to the machine.        Removing the finished footwear from the last for subsequent cleaning and application of some type of final finish.        
The described process involves a large number of operations and requires a considerable amount of manual labor, making the manufacture of the footwear much more expensive.